Survey Data Show That Faith Driven Consumers Put Their Finances Where Their Faith Is

A key goal for any brand is analyzing customer behavior—what motivates consumers in their purchasing decisions. Equally important, what steers them away from a purchase.

Thankfully, brands have a solid well of new survey data to draw conclusions from regarding Faith Driven Consumers, a growing but largely untapped niche market that represents 17% of the U.S. adult population—more than 41 million people—who spend $2 trillion annually. As we first unveiled last week, this 85-question national survey gives brands a valuable snapshot of those who identify as “faith driven” in their purchasing decisions.

Faith Driven Consumers have emerged as a purchasing powerhouse in recent years. Now, we have some exciting new data that will show exactly who makes up this “faith-driven” cohort of consumers and what they want from brands.

Who would have guessed that a family that embodies rural American values and love for hunting and Jesus could be so much fun to watch?

Last summer we wrote about the popular A&E show, “Duck Dynasty,” which follows the daily lives of the Robertson family, a clan of self-proclaimed rednecks whose Duck Commander brand of hunting products has made them rich and famous.

The 30-minute show has now become a national phenomenon and recently set the record as A&E’s most-watched show after 9.6 million viewers tuned in for the season three series finale on April 24.

“Last night’s one-hour episode garnered 5.6 million viewers in adults 25-54, 5.5 million adults 18-49 and 2.6 million adults 18-34 to become the most-watched series telecast in A&E’s history in all demos. That is a 41% rise in 18-49 over last season’s finale and a 47% rise in 25-54.”

Grocery stores, mass retailers, and drug stores – these are a few store types that women disproportionately control in terms of spending power in America.

New data released by Nielsen in April 2013 show that women have vast spending power – ranging from $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually. The report indicates that in the next decade, women as a demographic will control two-thirds of the consumer wealth in the U.S. and will continue to grow to unprecedented levels as a segment.

New data released by Gallup in February shows that 40 percent of Americans in 2012 classified themselves as very religious. For this group, religion was an important part of daily life and they attended religious services every week or almost every week. Additionally, 29 percent of those surveyed self-identified as moderately religious—meaning that about seven in ten Americans consider themselves to be moderately to very religious.

Gallup’s state-by-state results were “based on more than 348,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking in 2012, including more than 1,000 interviews conducted in all but two states and the District of Columbia.”

Tools, paint, building and garden supplies, convenience, customer service and price — these are some of the things consumers look for when shopping at a home improvement store.

But beyond factors that often differentiate one retailer over another, most consumers gravitate toward the brand that “feels right” – most closely aligns and is compatible with – their core values and worldview.

Based on our research, as a national home improvement chain which has taken a neutral stand on divisive cultural issues, Lowe’s is more likely to resonate deeply with the rapidly emerging and economically powerful Faith Driven Consumer segment than its chief competitor, Home Depot. This market segment, of 41 million Americans that spends $2 trillion annually, could be a game-changer for Lowe’s.

More evidence that Faith Driven Consumers are a viable and desirable segment for brands

Last fall, I wrote on our Faith Driven Consumer blog about GSN’s new hit show, “The American Bible Challenge,” hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy. It premiered as the cable network’s top-rated program of all time with 1.7 million viewers, and maintained its position throughout the season with 13 million viewers and the highest viewership ratings for GSN in its 17-year history.

Recently, GSN announced that the show, which features three teams of three contestants answering questions from the Bible, will be renewed for a second season. And to “bring a little more sauce and swag” to the hit show, GSN has added seven-time Grammy winner Kirk Franklin and an on-stage gospel choir into the mix.

The leadership of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) continues to grapple with its national policy on sexual orientation. This week’s announcement to postpone a final decision until May indicates a shift toward fuller consideration of viewpoints held by its core consumer members and natural affinity stakeholders.

Picture taken by Tim Sharp/Reuters

While there are other stakeholders and market segments that have ties to BSA – an enduring brand that has contributed greatly to the development of American leaders for more than a century – at its heart are Faith Driven Consumers. Between two-thirds and 70 percent of local scouting units are sponsored by faith-affiliated groups – the majority of which hold to historic and traditional biblical values and morals on human sexuality, marriage and family.

Brands that speak to America’s heritage of faith and family win highest ratings

For brands that are open to considering the value of welcoming and including the $2 trillion Faith Driven Consumer segment into their marketing mix, the results of the 2013 Super Bowl ad campaigns show that faith- and family-oriented messages scored big with American consumers.

Indeed, the case can be made that out of 54 Super Bowl ads rated by USA Today’s Ad Meter, four of the top five were Faith Driven Consumer-messaged ads.

January 22nd marked the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on abortion. Despite everyone acknowledging that abortion is the law of the land and that the present court is unlikely to change that fact, Americans remain highly divided on the issue. Recently, in the context of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, the ruling that abortion is a fundamental unenumerated right under the U.S. Constitution has come into direct conflict with the enumerated First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression.